Versatility of the New Sandvik QE241 proves ideal in Austria

BAG Klöch Aufbereitungstechnik and Staber Holding in Austria have enjoyed a mutually beneficial business relationship for over twenty years. This meant when it came to investing in a new screen to produce aggregates for its diverse customer base, Staber had little hesitation in contacting BAG. Following a highly successful demonstration, a new QE241 Scalper / Screen from Sandvik is now working effectively producing valuable products from primary and secondary resources.

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The Federal Province of Kärnten (Carinthia) advertises itself with the slogan 'Lust for life'. This motto has been practiced by the family Staber for over 200 years in the upper Carinthian area. Staber Holding, which operates several companies, has been heavily involved in the social and economic development of the region. This is rather apt as the name for Carinthia is derived from the Celtic 'Karanto', which leads to the words 'stone' and 'rock'. This succinctly sums up the development of Staber's business interests when the company moved into 'Erdbau', or 'Earth building'.

A recent project the company has been involved in is the Tauern motorway which has been supplied materials from Staber's Drau Valley sand and gravel pit in Pöllan. Lying between the villages of Villach, Spittal / Draun, and Paternion, it became operative in 1998, and now provides high-quality construction materials for the region. Hannes and Michael Staber, joint managing directors, operate the16 acre site to provide materials for the earth-moving side of the business.

A very special partnership

In order to improve business operations, the two brothers realized they required a compact screen, but with a large screening area. The screen would be used in their own gravel pit, as well as on customer construction sites dealing with excavated materials and, when applicable, for recycling construction materials. As on-site and site-to-site mobility were paramount, the screening plant needed to fit onto one of the company's trailers, and be easily transportable to customers' construction sites. In April 2016 Staber settled on a new mobile Sandvik QE241 mobile scalper. This was supplied by Staber's partner of many years, Sandvik's dealer in Austria, BAG Klöch Aufbereitungstechnik.

BAG was contacted by Staber, who were visited by BAG's Christoph Ulrich. After intensive discussions an on-site demonstration was arranged where the QE241was put to work screening and scalping dolomite and limestone carbonate. Following the highly successful demonstration the Staber brothers knew that the QE241 was the screen they were looking for, as it had successfully passed the 'hardness' test the company had set it.

Meeting customer demand

Sandvik developed the new QE241 based on customer feedback, thereby expanding the product range. Targeted at the European market, it presents the ideal solution for applications where performance, flexibility of use and transportability are combined with quick set-up. The QE241 also benefits from the long history of Sandvik's mobile scalping developments, and includes the renowned characteristics of the larger models in the series, such as a 2-way split configuration and sequential start-up.

The unique properties of the QE241 include a variable speed feed conveyor and a highly dynamic 3.35 x 1.24m double-deck screen box. This means that the QE241 provides the largest screen size in this class, which when combined with the "banana type" deck, ensures a highly effective and efficient screening solution. Stockpiling is facilitated by its impressive 1,200 mm wide conveyor to transport oversize, whilst the two hydraulically folding side conveyors transport the fine and medium sized material.

Further matching machine capabilities to customer requirements, different types of screen media are available, including punch plate, grizzly fingers, bofar bars, cascade fingers and various screen meshes. As a result, the new QE241 is a highly versatile system which can be adapted to suit the needs and specific requirements of the customer. Simple maintenance is assured through the screenbox jack-up facility, as is the case with the larger models in the series. This allows easy access to the lower deck for servicing or replacing screen media.

Versatile production

Since being acquired in April, the QE241 has been in continual use at the gravel pit on a single-shift operation. In addition to its quick set-up and changeover times, the throughput, which has been measured as between 120 and 300 tph depending on the material, has met with Staber's approval. Its flexibility has meant that the QE241 has also been able to produce materials from other sources for local construction companies, as well as for the asphalt and concrete industry. Thus the QE241 has been hard at work producing certified products and aggregate sizes of: 0/8mm, 8/16mm, 16/32mm and 32/70mm. This has meant that the region has benefitted from the local supply of excellent raw materials with sustainability of the home region being accounted for.

"As a down-to-earth family business in its 12th generation, we feel very connected to our roots in the region, and in Kärnten," Hannes Staber, joint managing director of Staber Holding explains. "This is evidenced by the family history. This began back in 1969 when we used horses and the first trucks for transportation of milk to upper Kärnten. This has grown further over the years, transporting the raw milk, for example, for the 'Carinthian milk' to the finished products today."

When it comes to explaining Staber's business philosophy, Hannes Staber comments, "We always work with the same partner. This shows well over 12 years working with BAG. We can rely on the expertise provided by BAG, both in the area of machines, such as with the Sandvik QE24, but also with the service and support."

With tradition, sustainability and progress, Staber, together with the partners of BAG and Sandvik, are able to optimistically look to the future, following the guiding principle of, 'Every good decision begins with solid information'. This has seen BAG's 30-strong team support its customers with advice and support, supplying mobile crushing and screening plants, and as Staber is able to attest, this has seen screening excellence delivered by the new QE241.